On this week's episode, we welcome Dr. Nikki Pensak - a licensed clinical psychologist certified in perinatal mental health. Dr. Pensak is the author of "RATTLED" which discusses how to calm new mom anxiety with the power of the postpartum brain. 

On this episode, you will hear:
- perinatal anxiety
- addressing mom guilt and shame
- managing anxiety and detaching from constant monitoring
- reframing "mommy brain" and embracing cognitive boosts
- the intersection of anxiety and trauma in motherhood
- the pressure to be a perfect parent and the importance of self-compassion
- validating and supporting mothers in their journey

You can find and follow Dr. Nikki Pensak on Instagram: @drnikkipensak
You can order her book RATTLED here!

Guest Bio:
Dr. Nikki Pensak received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Rhode Island and completed her APA accredited internship and specialty training in behavioral medicine at Yale School of Medicine. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School in psychiatric oncology and an NIH T32 fellowship at the University of  Colorado, Anschutz Medical Center in Aging and Palliative Care. As a Harvard and Yale-trained Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Pensak provides anxiety, depression, and trauma therapy that is empirically-based  treatment that is uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each client.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

This week's Listener Series episode, we welcome Claire. Claire is an LCSW and a Medical Social Worker in the oncology field. She shares with us her infertility journey, and her blissful pregnancy, and the quick turn of events into a traumatic birth. She shares vulnerably about her healing process and how important communication and accountability is in the recovery journey.

On this episode, you will hear:
- Infertility and IVF
- Guilt and challenges in the postpartum period
- The power of external validation and support
- The importance of repair and validation in the healing process
- Emotional and physical challenges in recovery
- The role of therapy in healing and the power of sharing stories

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On our first episode of the mini-series, we will be tackling a commonly asked about topic- How to find a new OBGYN after birth trauma. 

What you'll hear:
- Where to search for new OBGYN practices
- How to decide on which practice OBGYN to choose
- What questions to ask

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this week's listener series episode, Jess shares with us her birth story with her second of four children. In her c-section, Jess started to have a lot of trouble breathing and her heart rate started to sky rocket. Jess was taken to the cardiac Cath lab as soon as possible after Amelia's birth. An impella was inserted in the midst of CPR being administered to Jess and she had to be transferred to a different hospital to be placed on ECMO. Jess would not have survived the transfer to the other hospital for ECMO without the impella. Two months postpartum, Jess had an appointment where they found out she had a tumor that they learned explained everything in her situation and she had high risk and complicated surgery to remove it. After a couple years of processing and working with specialists, Jess had two subsequent c-sections.

On this episode, you will hear:
- retrograde amnesia
- high blood pressure in pregnancy
- cardiac arrest and the use of Impella and ECMO
- discovering a tumor and surgery following
- subsequent c-sections and healing process

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

This week we welcome Dr. Jasmine, PharmD, PMH-C. Jasmine is a clinical pharmacist and a maternal mental health advocate. We talk all things only children and Jasmine's journey to making the decision to have an only child after her experience with postpartum depression. We dive deep into what it means to either have to make this choice or have this choice made for you and all the feelings and nuance wrapped up in having an only child, as well as the societal expectations and pressure and biases. I hope this episode is helpful and validating whether you are planning to have an only child or are still in the midst of making that decision.

On this episode, you will hear:
- the impact of postpartum depression and insomnia
- the journey to choosing an only child life
- navigating societal pressure and stereotypes
- grief and complex emotions in the decision-making process
- the nuance of the in-between space
- the impact of trauma and fear in decision-making
- the freedom of making a decision and prioritizing mental health

You can find and follow Jasmine on Instagram @pearlsofjasmine and follow her podcast as well @healingthetigress

Guest Bio:
Dr. Jasmine, PharmD, PMH-C, is a clinical pharmacist with a perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C)! She is also a podcast co-host of Healing the Tigress and has a blog where she shares insights on maternal mental health and travel as a coping skill. Her goal is to be as helpful as possible and to spread awareness that mental health is just as important as physical health. Jasmine is a proud mama of a little girl and also a proud survivor of postpartum depression and anxiety.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this week's Listener Series, we welcome Rachel to share her experience with us. Rachel had a high-risk pregnancy due to gestational diabetes and her son having an EIF on his heart. Her birth included several complications: severe reaction to IV pain medication, failed epidural, hours of pushing turned to an emergency vaccum-assisted birth, and a low Apgar score. With a history of stillborn births in her family, Rachel had high anxiety about how her birth was going to play out with being high-risk. Her son had to be taken to the NICU after birth for the first few hours, and Rachel shares about grieving not having the "Golden Hour" she was looking forward to.

On this episode, you will hear:
- severe morning sickness
- EIF on baby's heart
- Gestational Diabetes and Anxiety
- breeched baby
- failed epidural
- emotional toll and disappointment
- unsupportive nurses and missed opportunities
- DMER
- anxiety over baby's health postpartum

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this week's episode, we welcome Katie Taylor, CEO & Founder of Child Life On Call - a support and resource provider to families & care teams through strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations. Child Life On Call enhances care & support with innovative, trauma-informed, and child life specialist-based solutions tailored ensure every family feels like an empowered part of the care team. We have such an interesting conversation around what a Child Life Specialist does and the ways it can impact care of babies and children during medical challenges.

On this episode, you will hear:
- what is a child life specialist?
- a day in the life of a child life specialist
- child life in the NICU
- child life in pediatrics
- the power of play and normalization
- education and advocacy in child life specialists
- supporting siblings of children with medical challenges
- integrating child life practices into every day life
- Support Spot App
- the power of child-friendly language and validating emotions
- advocating for pediatric-focused care and comfort measures

You can learn more about Child Life On Call by following their instagram: @childlifeoncall and visiting their website.

You can also download the Support Spot App here.

Guest Bio:
Katie Taylor received her Bachelor of Arts at Penn State University and she did her practicum at Children’s National Medical Center. She did her internship at Inova Children’s Hospital and received a fellowship in Hem/Onc & Adolescent Medicine at Inova Children’s Hospital.
Katie has over 12 years of Clinical Experience in PICU, ER, Adult, Outpatient, Inpatient Services and is an international and national speaker on Child Life Services.
By leveraging technology, and putting education and support into an easy-to-use app, Katie Taylor found a way to empower patients, their families, and the care team, and expand access to child life services to people who needed it the most.
The key to better care is here, and it fits in the palm of your hand. Let me show you what the Child Life On Call app can do for you.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this week's episode, we welcome Kali Dayton, DNP, AGACNP. Kali is a critical care nurse practitioner and a podcast host as well as a consultant for critical care teams. Kali and I have an in-depth conversation around the ICU experience for patients who are sedated. There is so much that we are still learning about sedation procedures and Kali has some incredible insight to this and ways we can move forward and have better practices to help reduce patient trauma.

On this episode, you will hear:
- the fear and hesitation around awake patients in the ICU
- sedation culture in the ICU
- delirium and traumatic experiences in the ICU
- impact of sedation on brain function
- cognitive and physical impairments after ICU stays
- lack of recognition and support for cognitive dysfunction
- understanding delirium and post-ICU dementia
- importance of rest and gradual rehabilitation
- exceptions to sedation and immobility
- minimizing the use of delirogenic medications
- the power of survivor testimonials inspiring change
- resources for implementing change in ICU practices

Follow Kali on Instagram for more information about her specialty and her podcasts: @daytonicuconsulting

Guest Bio:
Kali Dayton, DNP, AGACNP, is a critical care nurse practitioner, host of the Walking Home From The ICU and Walking You Through The ICU podcasts, and critical care outcomes consultant. She is dedicated to creating Awake and Walking ICUs by ensuring ICU sedation and mobility practices are aligned with current research. She works with ICU teams internationally to transform patient outcomes through early mobility and management of delirium in the ICU.

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this episode, Kayleigh is joined by Nikki Wilson of Make Birth Better, a UK organization that was created to end the suffering from birth trauma. Make Birth Better provides support, training, and campaigning related to both birth and vicarious trauma. We dive into a lot of advocacy and awareness in this discussion as well as hearing about Nikki's own personal experience of how she came to be in this space.

On this episode, you will hear:
- support, training, and advocacy for better birth experiences
- taking a systematic approach to prevent and treat birth trauma
- addressing birth trauma in marginalized groups
- importance in validating and understanding traumatic experiences
- bridging the gap: empathy and understanding
- shared goals: better outcomes for all
- preventing and mitigating birth trauma

You can find more information about Make Birth Better by following them in Instagram: @birthbetter
Guest Bio:
Nikki has a strong passion for driving social change. Her third sector career has focused on solving strategic challenges and building organisations from scratch including Make Birth Better, 10 of zen, Wings for Life UK and Read International.  Nikki runs the ship and shapes the strategy for Make Birth Better and her deep drive comes from her lived experience of birth trauma. 

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.

On this week's Listener Series, we are joined by Sami - an elementary school classmate of Kayleigh's. Kayleigh and Sami reconnected in 2020 because of birth trauma. Sami shares about her pregnancy and birth experience during the height of COVID and how it took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of Vasa Previa required a hospital admission at week 30 until her baby way born. She shares about her unexpected diagnosis, the impact of COVID on antepartum admissions, particularly as an immunocompromised patient and her son's NICU stay.

On this episode, you will hear:
- The challenges of birth trauma during COVID-19
- Vasa Previa
- Isolation and fear in the hospital
- Living with hypervigilance and anxiety
- Challenges and complications during an unexpected c-section
- NICU stay during COVID-19

If you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form. 

For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @thebirthtrauma_mama.

Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance, views, or positions of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast. The content shared is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or medical advice and/or endorsement.